France Archives - Jenny is baking

Summer Macarons

Have you ever been too scared to start anything because it was supposedly super difficult? That’s French macarons for me. They are, at least from what I know, the holy grail of cookie baking. Supposedly. But I figured, OK, I will just give it a shot and see what happens. I mean, I didn’t expect anything, I started watching videos on how to make French macarons and I just figured that I could throw away the first batch in case it didn’t turn out. So I went, I made them, and was surprised that they were as good as they were. I mean, yeah, they still need improvement. I will give you that, but they were much better than I had ever expected them to turn out.

14/07/2017

Homemade Croissants with Blueberry Raspberry Thyme Jam

Why does baking make me so happy? Why does it relax me, why do I even bother and sometimes (not often, but still) take hours in the kitchen preparing something? There are many reasons for this. Let’s give it a shot: Because it relaxes me, because it is so much fun to watch others when they enjoy something I baked, because I can collect my thoughts while I follow instructions one step at a time, because kneading somehow makes me feel more down to earth, because I feel it is a mini-workout when I knead dough and that makes me proud and because it is creative.Maybe it is precisely because baking requires you to follow the rules strictly, especially if you are a beginner, why I find it challenging and fun to be creative. I may decide to change a basic recipe, turn it up a notch, or I mix flour, butter, sugar and eggs together and hope for the best.

12/06/2017

Lemon Tart/Tartelette au Citron

I have been encouraged by a lot of people to start yet another baking blog. I know that there are already a million out there. So why create another one? Baking, in my opinion, is about sharing, it is about inviting others to a special treat. It may sound a bit pathetic, but I bake to bring joy to others. If somebody comes to me after having eaten something I baked and asks for the recipe, I feel happy and grateful. Sharing recipes is what this blog is all about. Yes, there are a million baking blogs out there, I know. I simply want to share some of the recipes I have enjoyed and I know others might enjoy as much. As there are so many good recipes out there already, I usually don’t create my own, but modify the existing ones to my liking. I always rewrite the recipes in my own words and I always link back to the original (you will find the link on top of the recipe). The pictures on this blog are all taken by me if not indicated otherwise and I have full copyright. I bake at home, I don’t have a KitchenAid (yet) and usually I don’t require fancy utensils.

For my first recipe I chose a lemon tartelette. I chose this recipe, because I am in need of some color. Winter has been dragging on and I would like to sprinkle my surroundings with some fresh yellow. If you have ever been to France and tried a real tartelette au citron, you never want to go back. So tangy, so good! I especially like the little almond flour of the pastry dough, which complements the strong lemon flavor.

15/02/2017